‘Nashville’ ends season one with another Paisley, high drama

The season finale of “Nashville” is Wednesday night, and the scene has been set for a three-way showdown with Rayna (Connie Britton), Teddy (Eric Close) and Deacon (Charles Esten) over the paternity of Rayna’s oldest daughter Maddie.

The last episode showed Maddie finding a paternity test revealing Teddy wasn’t her father, and in the preview she was shown telling Deacon she thought he was her father. An extended clip of the show on ABC.com included a heated exchange between Rayna and Deacon in which she admits the guitar player, even though he doesn’t remember it, did father her child. The news appears to send the long-sober Deacon back to the bottle.

In addition, it’s the night of the CMA Awards and Juliette (Hayden Panettiere), who is nominated, is on edge following the death of her mother in last week’s episode. When it is suggested the young singer not go on stage at the awards show because of her emotional state, she is even more determined.

Both Paisleys — country star Brad Paisley and his actress wife Kimberly Williams-Paisley — are set to be on the show this week. Williams-Paisley has spent much of the season in the role of Peggy, Teddy’s mistress, and the teaser suggests she has a big secret of her own to reveal this week. Paisley, who earlier this year sounded pensive in an interview with “Parade” about the possibility of appearing on “Nashville,” will perform with Rayna against the backdrop of the CMA Awards.

As for the cliffhanger, there’s still the rumor generated by E-Online that two characters will die in tonight’s episode. For those keeping count, that would total four deaths in the last two weeks if it’s true. And since the title of the season finale is “I’ll Never Get Out of This World Alive,” it seems plausible that even more cast members could be on the way out.

See what happens when the show airs 9 p.m. Wednesday on ABC.

And go to Tennessean.com/abcnashville to see show quizzes, a map of area shoot locations, photo galleries and past recaps of all Season 1 episodes. Also, find photos from Wednesday night’s sold-out Tennessean viewing party at Bar Louie. Join the fun from your living room by joining our Facebook group at www.Facebook.com/groups/ABCNashville/